Improvement in cultivators



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARQUIS L. GOB-HAM, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CULTIVATORS.

Specification forming part of Let-ters Patent No. 154,666, dated September 1, 1874; application tiled May 17, 1812.

To all whom itmdy concern:

Be it known that LMARQUIS L. GORHAM, of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of 11linois,.have invented certain Improvements in Gultivators, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to that class of cultivators known as'wheeled straddle-row walking-cultivators; and consists of an improved device, by means of. which the shovels are held tachments to thedrag-bars, the handles, and

wheels are omitted. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical'seetion through the joint connection ofthe front ends of the drag-bars to the main frame. Fig. 5 is a longitudinalvertical centra-l section of the shovel-holder. Fig. o' is a transverse horizontal centralseeticn of the same. Fig. 7 is a lateral vertical central section ofthe saine..

Carrying-wheels A receive and revolve on arms of raised axle B, to the under side of which, at suitable and equal distances from the ends thereof, are secured beams O, the forward ends of which meet and are secured to each other, and iittcd to receive a neckyoke. Dis a cross-piece, framed into and se- -cured between beams U forward of the axle,

and is fittedl to receive an evener on either its upper or under side. These part-s are substantialljY the same as in lateut No. 121,613, issued to me, dated December 5, 1.87.1.. E are hangers, secured to the under side of beams C between the axle and cross-piece. Each hanger is provided with a vertical longitudinal disk, a, the center of which is 1cored at right angles toits plane. F are recessed disks, fitted to receive disks a, and are provided with central studs to enter the central holes in disks c, in which they are secured by screw-nuts or otherwise.. rlhese parts furnish the joint for the vertical inovementsfof the drag-bas. The disks F are provided with vertical sockets on the side thereof opposite the recess, and re- `at their forward ends.

ceive the vertical studs b, which are secured to the forward ends of the drag-bars, and furnish the joint for the lateral movements there: of. c are brace-rods, fitted to receive the upper ends of studs b above sockets on disks F, and are secured in place by pins, which also hold the studs in place. The rear ends of braces c, in common with suspensionrods d, are secured to the drag-bars rearward of their joint connection with the hangers by hooked screw-bolts c. The forward ends of the suspei'ision-rods (L pass loosely through holes iu ears f, that are fixed in the sides of hangers E, and beyond far enough to receive a spiral spring, g, and the extreme end is furnished with a screw-thread Iand a screw-nut, h; and, by turning the screw-nut down upon'the spring and contracting it between the nut h and ear f, it will act to suspend the drag-bars to any height, or to regulate the depth at which the shovels or plows shall work. The ears f, against which the spring g bears, are placed in the hangers E, above and over or nearly o ver the point where the drag-bars are hinged The rods d are used also to assist iii raising the drag-bars to suspend them, by hook-eonnections with rings fi, to the axle B. hooks e and rings 'i having been previousljT provided for the purpose of suspending the plows in a fixed position when turning and in moving the machine. Studs Gr are fitted to receive theupper ends of standards II, and are secured in place on rear portion of drag-bars I by suitable bolts, which pass through standards H, studs Gr, and dragbars I.. The studs Gr are provided with arms It, iitted with vertical radial slots to 4receive tension-bolts, which yhold them in place on the drag-barsfin such a manner that when the shovels come in contact with obstinate obstructions the arms will slide from underthe tensionbolts, and the shovels will he thrown backl without injury. K K are blocks, to which the shovels L are iirmly secured, and through which the shovels are held and adjusted upon the standards. In each b'loek is a transverse socket,' K", to receive the eye part of a screw-.eyebolt, a, and a hole transversely through the rear wall ofthe block, from the socket Klx to the rear side, to receive the bolt part. of the eyebolt, and a round bercer.

hole, on, longitudinally or vertically through the block to-receive the shovel-standard B,- uhich is rounded at its lower portion to tit in the bore m. The eye of the eyebolt is yof the same or about the same diameter as the bore m, and will be coincident therewith. When the standards are inserted in the holes m, and the blocks K forced thereon, the round portions oi1 the standards will pass through the eye ot the eyeboit n, the screw -threaded portion ot' the eyebolt through the rea-r wall ot' the block, and receive screwnut o, by means ot which the shovels through the blocks K will be firmly held upon the standards, as the screw-eyebolt with the block acts as a clamp upon the standard to hold the shovel to any desired position upon the standard. The shovels can also be raised or lowered or turned on the standards to any angle with regard todirection of throwing the earth to or from the plants .being cultivated by simply loosening nut o, and adjusting the shovels, and then screwing the nut o hard against the block K. L are guide-pieces, the upper outward projectingportions of which are tted to receive the pendent ends of a suitably-bent connecting sway-bar, and the lower horizontal portions are slotted lengthwise, and are secured to the under side ot the ,dragbars by suitable bolts, and, by means of their slotted portions, are adjustable thereon laterally. M are friction-rollers with grooved peripheries, secured to the'rear side ofthe axle, and revolve on suitable journals. N is a suitable bent sway-bar, the section ot which is a rectangular parallelogram, and is received in groeved peripheries of rollers M, on which it is supported, and its pendent ends enter the upper `and outward proiecting port-ion of gui des L, which are iitted for their reception, and by means of the adjustable connection of the guide-pieces L with the drag-bars the distance between them may be increased or diminished, und held in such -a manner that their lateral movements will be in unison, and the relative lateral distance ot the drag-bars from each other shall be preserved, and will jbe free to vibrate vertically independently. The crown or horizontal portion of sway-bars Nispro vided with a right-angled piece, p, which overlaps the axle, and is bored and'provided with u pin, r, which passes through it into the axle, for the purpose ot' holdin g the drag-bars in a. lixed position relatively.' with the machine, as respects their lateral movements, when circumstances require it. l are handles, secured to the rear portions oi' the drag-bars, and are inclined to thc side in such a manner that the driver can walk bv the side ot' the plants, and

.ments of the shovels.

by means ot' thc handlesy controls the move- R are beams, the forward ends of which are secured loosely by screw bolts to the insides and forward ends of the dragfbars, and extend rearward a proper distance to receive the crosswise bar S, the outward-projecting ends ot' which rest ou the' drag-bars. t are plates, suitably curved, the forward ends of which are secnredto beams R, forward of crosswise bar S, and their rear ends `risein such a manner as to receive the bar S between them and beams R, and are held together in a proper hinged manner by means ot' suitable bolts, which pass through beams R, bar S, and plates t. The ends ot' bar S are provided with a series of holesat proper intervals, for the purpose of changing the dis-` tance between the beams R, so as to be re`- ceived loosely between the drag-bars. T 1s a rectangled frame,secured centrally to the under side ot' the cross-bar S. To the sides of the pendent ends thereof are secured shieldplates et transversely to crosswise bar S, iii such a manner tha-t the shield-plates' shall be suspended between the front or inner shovels, forvthe purpose of protecting the plants from injury by the dirt thrown from ythe shovels, and by means of their connection with thedragbars will have a positive lateral movement equal, or nearly equal, to the lateral movements of the shovels, and longitudinally will always preserve, or nearly preserve, their parallel position with the direction ot' the machine, and will be free to rise to pass obstructions.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination ot the hangers E, re-v cessed disks F, disks a, and their necessary holes land studs, with the drag-bars I, to allow of a vertical motion to the drap, bars, as described.

2. The suspension-rods d, regulating-springs g, and drag-bars I, in combination with hangers E, to which they are attached, substantially .as described.

3. The bent sway-bar X, having right-angled piece p, in combination with pin 'r and axle B, as and for the purpose described.

4. The shields u, beams S and li, in combi nat-ion with the drag-bars Las and for the purposes described.

5. The clamp-block K, having' vertical and lateral sockets, with shovels Z attached thereto, and eye screw-bolt n, in combination with the standards H, constructed and operating as described.

MARQUIS L. G-ORHAM'. Witnesses:

E. N. J. BEHEL, J. E. BEHHL. 

